Sewing machine



Aug. 22, 1933. F, R|Ks 1,923,586

SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i z 5 5 i i Q /NVENTDR E w M Y 74m WMWQ HATTDRNE 5 Patented Aug. 22, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE SEWING MACHINE Application February 19, 1931, Serial No. 516,901, and in Great Britain March 8, 1930 11 Claims. (Cl. 11260) The present invention relates to sewing machines for use in the manufacture of boots and shoes, and particularly to machines for uniting by a sewn seam, an unlasted boot or shoe upper and a sole composed of a combination of felt and leather or leather substitute sewn together by a seam extending around the sole and passing through the layers of felt and leather.

Examples of machines of this type are disclosed in the specifications of British Letters Patent No. 4,173 to Bates, Richards and British United Shoe Machinery Company, complete specification accepted March 19, 1913; No. 168,403 to Woodcock and British United Shoe Machinery Company, complete specification accepted August 31, 1921; and No. 317,921 to Woodcock, Minett and British United Shoe Machinery Company complete speciiication accepted August 29, 1929.

It is one of the several objects of the present invention to ensure that the stitches of a seam formed by machines of the above type shall be uniform as regards (a) the tightness of the stitches, (b) the distances between the points of entry and emergence of the needle into and out of the work and (c) the depth to which the stitch is pulled into the work.

The above and other objects and the several novel features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the fol-,

lowing description, given by way of example, of a preferred form of the invention which will now be described in conjunction with those parts of a sewing machine of the type referred to necessary to an understanding of the invention, which parts are to be found in somewhat difierent forms in the aforementioned specifications.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of mechanism according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section of the said mechanism;

Figure 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a feed member according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the machine illustrated in British Patent No. 317,921 with the mechanism of Figures 1 and 2 applied thereto; and

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the work feed mechanism of the machine of said patent with the feed member of Figure 3 applied thereto.

As is fully described in British Patent No. 317,921, machines of the type illustrated in the drawings comprise a yieldingly mounted work supporting horn, a cam actuated bender arranged to engage the edge of the upper and bend it over the shoe sole and to cooperate with the horn in holding the work in position to he operated upon, a feed point and mechanism for actuating the same to engage and feed the work, 0 a curved hook needle arranged to enter and emerge from the surface of the sole of a shoe placed on the horn, a looper for threading the needle when the needle is at the forward limit of its stroke, a thread finger to draw out a bight of thread between the looper and the work, a thread tension and main and auxiliary take-ups.

With machines of the type referred to as here tofore constructed, it has been found that if the felt of the sole is of an unduly soft loose nature the stitches are pulled too much down into the felt and an undesirable ridge is thereby formed on the sole and it has also been found that the needle when emerging from the face of the sole is apt to push the material in front of it and to emerge from the sole at different distances from the sole edge, thereby causing an uneven line of stitching on the face of the sole.

In the operation of this type of machine as heretofore constructed the thread finger as it swings back into the machine takes with it a bight of the thread which extends between the looper and the last stitch in the sole and subsequently gives up this bight of thread as the needle moves back to take with it a loop of thread one leg of which extends from the needle to the looper and the other from the needle to the thread finger and the last stitch. As the needle moves back the take-up moves to pro- 4 vide thread to the leg extending from the needle to the looper and the thread finger moves forward to provide thread to the opposite leg so that thread is freely provided to each leg of the loop and reeving through the barb of the needle by the thread is prevented. If the felt of the sole is of a soft loose nature it gives Way somewhat as the thread finger moves back and that finger does not take enough thread to supply to the needle from that side of the needle loop as the needle moves back with the result that the thread reeves through the needle barb as the needle moves back and a strain is exerted on that leg of the loop extending from the last stitch in the work to the needle and the thread extending from the last stitch to the needle hole is consequently pulled unduly down into the sole.

In applying the present invention in its preferred form to such a machine there is provided a presser 1 which is formed on the forward end of an arm 2 which is pivoted on the machine frame on a stud 3 extending horizontally across the machine. This presser 1 is positively depressed into engagement with the work, supported by the usual yieldingly mounted horn 4 of the machine, by the bender 5 which in this preferred form of the invention is positively instead of yieldingly moved into engagement with the work. The bender is forked to engage the upper on each side of the needle as in the machine of British Patent No. 317,921 and is arranged to bend the edge of the shoe upper over the sole and force it against the sole surface. In order to operate the presser 1, the bender 5 has formed on it a lug 6 through which passes an adjustable screw 7 which engages a lug 8 on the presser arm 21. The presser 1 is raised by a spring arranged to bear against the under side of the arm 2. The front edge 9 the presser 1 is just behind the line of the stitches 10 formed where the needle 11 emerges from the sole and the back edge of the presser is in front of the line of stitches 12 formed where the needle enters the work and just in frontof the forward end of the bender 5. The presser 1 does not bear on the over turned upper 13 but only on the upper face of the sole l l.

The front edge 9 of the presser extends in the direction of the feed of the work across the plane of the needle from a point just to the right of the needle when it projects forwardly through the sole 14, to a point far enough to the left so that it extends beyond the hole in the sole from which the thread leads from the previous stitch to that about to be formed. When in the operation of the machine embodying this arrangement the thread finger 20 moves back to take its bight of thread, the presser 1 is pressed firmly down on the work and the thread is pulled by the finger 20 back over the front edge 9 of the presser and this front edge therefore prevents the felt of the sole from giving way or tearing and acts as a member from which the length of thread drawn by the thread finger is measured and the amount of movement of the thread finger may be adjustable to vary the length of thread drawn.

At the right hand end of the presser 1 there is a forwardly projecting auxiliary work-press ing portion 15 the left hand side of which is very close to the needle 11 when the needle projects through the sole. At the front of this portion 15 there is a projection 16 which extends to the left just in front of and close to the needle with the result that when the needle emerges from the face of the sole it passes upwardly through what is in effect a notch 21 in the presser, which notch is formed by the front edge 9 of the presser, the left hand side of the forwardly projecting portion 15 and the rear edge of the projection 16 at the front of the latter portion. The projection 16 at the front of the forwardly projecting portion 15 has formed on its underside a ridge 17 which extends along it across the machine. This ridge 17 projects below the lower face of the presser l and when the presser is pressed down on to the sole the ridge sinks into the felt. This ridge and the presser round the notch 21 in the presser through which the needle passes as above described compress the felt and also prevent the felt from being pushed forwardly in front of the needle and ensure that the needle shall emerge from the face of the sole always at the same distance from its edge. The compression and consequent consolidating of the felt by the presser previous to the stitch being formed and set aids in preventing the stitch from being pulled into the work.

The feed of the work in machines of this type as usually heretofore constructed has, when combination soles are being operated upon, been affected by a pointed feed member which is moved down vertically and digs into the sole and is then moved laterally to feed the Work. If the felt is soft and loose loss of feed takes place through the feed member moving relatively to and in'the sole instead of taking the sole with it.

In the preferred form of device according to the invention (see Figure 3) the feed member 18 is pivoted on a horizontal pivot 19 extending across the machine and carried by the feed slide and the member as it is moved about its pivot into engagement with the sole moves downwardly and rearwardly. The feed member has projecting downwardly, and rearwardly from it a spike 22 which is arranged to enter the sole obliquely and extend across the line of stitching hereinbefore referred to as uniting the felt and leather layers of the sole. In this way the feed purchase is obtained on the stitching rather than on the felt itself and a substantially positive engagement between the feed member and sole is obtained.

The operative cycle of a machine embodying the preferred form of the invention above described is as followsz-When the treadle is depressed, the horn 4 is raised and the clutch thereafter tripped to start the machine. The work feed member 22 first feeds the work and then the bender 5 is positively lowered on to the work and moves the presser 1 down with it on to the work to compact it as indicated. The needle 11 moves forward to pierce the work, the take-up rising at the same time to draw off thread, reaching its highest position at about the same time that the needle reaches its foremost position. The thread finger 20 moves back to take its bight of thread, the take-up falling at the same time to give up thread. The looper 23 loops the thread round the needle 11, the take-up still falling and the auxiliary take-up controlling the thread during the looping. The needle moves back taking the needle loop through the work, the thread for the loop being provided in part by movement of the take-up mechanism and in part by advance of the thread finger. The bender 5 and presser 1 rise and the machine stops, the presser 1 releasing its grip on the work when the needle 11 has reached its fully retracted position.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and mechanism embodying the several features of the invention having been specifically described, what is claimed as the invention is:

1. In a machine for sewing to the sole of a shoe an upper which has been overturned upon the surface of the sole, the combination with a curved hook needle arranged to pass through the upper into the sole and emerge from the surface of the sole, of a presser arranged to bear against the surface of the sole between the lines of stitches formed where the needle enters and emerges from the work, a looper, and a. thread finger arranged to engage the thread between the looper and the work and to draw a bight of thread across the presser.

2. In a machine for sewing to the sole of a shoe an upper which has been overturned upon the surface of the sole, the combination with a curved hook needle arranged to pass through the upper into the sole and emerge from the surface of the sole, of a presser arranged to bear against the surface of the sole between the lines of stitches formed where the needle enters and emerges from the work and provided with a notch, the edges of which extend in close proximity to the needle in front of, behind and at one side of the needle when projecting through the sole.

3. In a machine for sewing to the sole of a shoe an upper which has been overturned upon the surface of the sole, the combination with a curved hook needle arranged to pass through the upper into the sole and emerge from the surface of the sole, of a presser arranged to bear against the surface of the sole between the lines of stitches formed where the needle enters and emerges from the work, said presser extend ing across the plane of the needle and being provided with a portion extending transversely to the seam and with a projection from said portion extending across the plane of the needle to form a notch, the edges of which are in close proximity to the needle when projecting through the sole.

4. In a machine for sewing to the sole of a shoe an upper which has been overturned upon the surface of the sole, the combination with a curved hook needle arranged to pass through the upper into the sole and emerge from the surface of the sole, of a presser comprising a portion arranged to bear against the surface of the sole in front of the point at which the needle emerges from the sole, said portion having a ridge upon its under surface to compress the material of the sole and prevent displacement thereof by the needle.

5. In a machine for sewing to the sole of a shoe an upper which has been overturned upon the surface of the sole, the combination with a curved hook needle arranged to pass through the upper into the sole and emerge from the surface of the sole, of a presser arranged to bear upon the surface of the sole both in front of and behind the point at which the needle emerges from the sole.

6. In a machine for sewing to the sole of a shoe an upper which has been overturned upon the surface of the sole, the combination with a curved hook needle arranged to pass through the upper into the sole and emerge from the surface of the sole, of a bender arranged to engage the shoe upper and hold it against the surface of the sole, and a presser arranged to bear against the surface of the sole between the bender and the line of stitches formed where the needle emerges from the sole.

7. In a machine for sewing to the sole of a shoe an upper which has been overturned upon the surface of the sole, the combination with a curved hook needle arranged to pass through the upper into the sole and emerge from the surface of the sole, of a bender arranged to engage the shoe upper and hold it against the surface of the sole, a presser arranged to bear against the surface of the sole, mechanism for moving the bender towards and from the shoe, and connections between the bender and the presser for forcing the presser against the sole.

8. In a machine for sewing to the sole of a shoe an upper which has been overturned upon the surface of the sole, the combination with a curved hook needle arranged to pass through the upper into the sole and emerge from the surface of the sole, of a bender arranged to engage the shoe upper and hold it against the surface of the sole, a presser arranged to bear against the surface of the sole, mechanism for moving the bender towards and from the shoe, and means having provision for adjustment for actuating the presser from the bender.

9. In a machine for sewing to the sole of a shoe an upper which has been overturned upon the surface of the sole, the combination with a curved hook needle arranged to pass through the upper into the sole and emerge from the surface of the sole, of a bender arranged to engage the shoe upper and hold it against the surface of the sole, a presser arranged to bear against the surface of the sole, mechanism for moving the bender towards and from the shoe, and interengaging lugs on the presser and bender for actuating the presser from the bender.

10. In a machine for sewing to the sole of a shoe an upper which has been overturned upon the surface of a sole composed of layers sewn together by a seam extending around the sole and passing through the layers, the combination with stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle arranged to pass through the upper into the sole and emerge from the surface of the sole, of work feeding means including a feed point, and means for actuating the feed point to enter the seam uniting the sole layers.

11. In a machine for sewing to the sole of a shoe an upper which has been overturned upon the surface of a sole composed of layers sewn together by a seam extending around the sole and passing through the layers, the combination with stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle arranged to pass through the upper v into the sole and emerge from the surface of the sole, of work feeding means including a feed point, and means for actuating the feed point to cause it to enter the sole obliquely and extend across the line of stitching uniting the sole layers.

FRED RICKS. 

